Why is Bridge creating multiple folders containing the same files?

[Alami08]

I've only just switched from an old version of Bridge to the latest version, and this behaviour is puzzling me. Can anyone explain to me why, when I upload images from a memory card, it creates 3 different folders, each containing the same RAW files? I really don't want all these files to stay on my Macbook as they take up a lot of space, but I don't know which ones I should delete, nor how to stop it from doing this?

Essentially, I created a folder called 'Socotra 2022 RAW files'; on uploading the files I got:

1) All the RAW files loose in the above folder;

2) A sub-folder called '103ND750' (my camera is a Nikon D750), containing all the same files again;

3) Another sub-folder called 'DCIM', containing a sub-folder called '103ND750', containing all the same files again!

This is totally insane. Please can someone advise me how to make it stop doing this please? Thanks.

[Lumigraphics]

Its a bug. Don't use the Photo Downloader.

[gary_sc · Accepted solution]

This is a known bug in the current version of Bridge. Adobe knows about it but has not released an update/fix yet. No one knows when that might be.

There are several workarounds:

1) Download an earlier version of Bridge

2) Some people have had success using the Advanced window of the Downloader

3) Since the duplicates are in separate folders, just delete the extra separate folders

I really really wish I could tell you something more and/or better than this but at this point, that's all there is.

BTW, I do not work for Adobe and am just a messenger. I, like others in these halls, am just trying to help folks. Wish I could do more.

[Alami08]

Thanks @gary_sc and @Lumigraphics ! That's crazy and disappointing. Maybe I'll just go back to the old version of Bridge that I have on my iMac, although it won't show me previews of the images, so I have to convert them all to DNG, which adds in an extra step. BTW do you know if there's any advantage / disdavantage in converting to DNG for processing?
Thanks

[gary_sc]

Hi Alami08,

I love working with DNGs. I like how they are smaller (Adobe uses a non-lossy compression on the files), and I like how they are container files, so I do not have to worry about losing any of my .xmp or .acr files. They are always with/inside the DNG.

I always make the conversation as I'm downloading the files and the difference in speed is, IMHO, negligible.

One of the negative things that I've seen with DNG images is that with some camera systems (I think Nikon), not all of the raw data is converted to the DNG because Adobe does not need to use those features within Adobe software. Thus, if you wish to go back and forth from other raw software, you may not be able to do so with DNGs (check with your raw format and check with any raw software you might have. Many of them do work with the DNG format.

Lastly, I recommend taking a dozen or so images, converting them to DNG, and seeing if there's anything you do not like. If you use Adobe DNG Converter (download from here: https://helpx.adobe.com/camera-raw/using/adobe-dng-converter.html). During the conversion, the original raw images will be left untouched. So, they will remain after the conversion, and if you do not like the DNG format, you still have your original images.

But like I said, I've been using DNG since 2000 and never have looked back.

[Alami08]

Many thanks @gary_sc , that's very helpful! I was using DNGs before, but mainly because my old version of Bridge wouldn't show previews of the Nikon RAW files so I couldn't make any selction to process. I thought the new Bridge would curt out this step, but maybe I'll try going back to it again!